Oil-well heater



Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL WARNICK, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO WARNICK OILHEATER SYNDICATE, 013 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

OIL-WELL HEATER.

Application filed December 6, 1921. Serial No. 520,424.

To all whom-it may concern Be it known that I, MICHAEL YVARNICK, acitizen of the. United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county ofLos Angeles, State of California, have invented a new and useful OilellHeater, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to oil wells, being more particularly a heaterwhich is placed in the bottom of a well to facilitate the pumping of theoil from the well. In many oil wells, the sands about the well becomeclogged by accumulation of the heavier constituents in the oil,resulting in a falling off of the capacity of the well; in other wells,the oil is of such heavy gravity that it 1s diflicult to pump the well.In both cases mentioned, it has been determined that by th applicationof heat to the oil in the bottom of the well the well flows easier andthe pumping operation becomes less diffi cult resulting in an increaseof production from the well.

The principal object of my invention is to produce an electrical heatingapparatus of simple form and construction, which. may be placed in thebottom of the well in a simple manner.

Another object of my invention is to produce an apparatus of the classdescribed provided with a plurality of flexible heating elements whichare directed outwardly from the well into the oil sands about the well.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter from the followingdescription and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic vertlcal sectional view of an oil well showingan apparatus embodying a form of my invention, this view showing theapparatus in the position assumed during the pumping operation of thewell.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the heating apparatuswith parts in osition for lowering into the well.

ig. 3 is a sectional plan View on line 33, Fig. 2, and v Fig. 4 is anenlarged, vertical sectional view of one of the heatingelements.

11 designates the casing of the well which is shown in Fig.1

The heater comprises a plurality of flexible heating elements 13, theupper ends of which are connected to a head or supportng member 14,their lower ends extending into curved holes 15 in a spreader shoe 16.Each heating element consists of a malleable iron pipe 17 which forms acore, the lower end of such pipe extending into a recess formed in asteel point 18. The pipe 17- is covered with a layer of insulatingmaterial 20, upon which is wound a wire coil 21 forming a conductor. Theends of the coil 21 extend through perforations 22 into a recess 23 inthe head 14 being connected to a cable 24 which extends upwardly throughthe casing 11 to a suitable source of electric energy. The coil 21 iscovered with a layer of insulation 26 arranged within a copper tube 27which fits over the upper part of the steel point 18. The upper end ofthe tube 27 is flanged outwardly by means of which th heating element issecured into the head 14 by meansof a threaded bushing 29.

The spreader shoe 16 is circular in form, having an interiorly threadedcentral opening 80 which receives the left hand threaded lower end of atubing 31 which may be termed the installation tubing, such tubingextending upwardly and freely through a central opening 32 in the head14.

The holes or guides 15 in the shoe 16 extend downwardly from the top andoutwardly through the sides of'the shoe, being curved as shown, thelower end of each heating element being in its associated hole as shownin Fig. 2.

For the purpose of protecting the heating elements during installation,guards for the heating elements are provided which consist ofsemi-cylindrical plates or bars 34 having their upper ends fixed in thehead 14 and having their lower ends freely extending into semi-circularholes 35 which extend through the shoe 16.

The heater is used in th following man- 1161:

The parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 2 and lowered through thecasing 11 until the shoe 16 is resting upon the bottom of the well, aweight of any suitable kind, in-

dicated in dotted lines at 37 in Fig. 2, being allowed to strike blowson the head'14 until the head is driven down upon the shoe in theposition shown in Fig. l. The downward movement of the head 14 causesthe heating elements 13 to be driven outwardly into the oil sand due.tothe shape of the holes 15 in the shoe, the guards moving straightdownwardly into the sands. v

After the heater is so arranged in the well, the installation tubing isremoved and the pump placed in the well, that is, as shown in Fig. 1,the perforated tubing 39 rests upon the heater, the pump barrel 40 beingconnected to the tubing 39. Electricity is then supplied to the heatingelements through the cable 24 and the pumping operation started.

The extension of the flexible heating elements outwardly into the oilsands permits the distribution of heat over a larger area than can bedone when the heating element is retained in the casing or when a singleelement is placed in the bottom of the well.

I claim as my invention:

1. An oil well heater comprising a supporting member, and a plurality offlexible heating elements mounted onsaid supporting member.

An oil well heater comprising a head, a plurality of flexible heatingelements mounted on said head and a shoe provided with guide means forsaid heating elements.

3. An oil well heater comprising a head, a series of flexible heatingelements secured at their upper ends to said head, and a shoe having aguide opening therein for each heating element.

4:. An oil well heater comprising a head, a series of flexible heatingelements secured at their upper ends to said head, and a shoe having aguide opening therein for each heating element, said guide openings eachextending downwardly and outwardly through said shoe.

5. An oil well heater comprising a head, a series of flexible heatingelements secured at their upper ends to said head, ashoe having a guideopening therein for each heating element, and a guard for each heatingelement.

6. An oil well heater comprising a head, a series of flexible heatingelements secured at their upper ends to said head, a shoe having a guideopening therein for each heating element, and a guard for each heatingelement,

through which said guards freely extend.

7. Anoil well heater comprising a sup porting member, a plurality offlexible heating elements mounted on said supporting member, each ofsaid heating elements consisting of a pointed member, a copper tube onsaid pointed member, and an insulated coil in said tube.

8. An oil well heater comprising: a shoe having a series of holesextending from the top downwardly and outwardly through the sidesthereof; a head; a series of heating elements secured at their upperends to said head and having their lower ends extending into the holesin said shoe; and a guard for each heating element.

9. An oil well heater comprising: a shoe having a series of holesextending from the top downwardly and outwardly through the sidesthereof a head; a series of heating elements secured at their upper endsto said head and having their lower ends extending finto the holes insaid shoe; and a guard for each heating element, each guard consistingof a semi-cylindrical member attached at its upper end to said head, andhaving its lower end freely extending into holes in said shoe.

10. An oil well heater comprising: a shoe having a series of holesextending from the top downwardly and outwardly through the sidesthereof; a head; a series of heating elements secured at their upperends to said head and having their lower ends extending into the holesin said shoe; and a guard for each heating element, said head beingmovable toward said shoe to extend said heating elements outwardly fromsaid shoe.

11. An oil well heater comprising a head, a series of heating elementssecured at one end to said head and means for extending said heatingelements radially from said head.

12. An oil well heater comprising a head, a series of heating elementssecured at one end to said head and means for extending said heatingelements outwardly from said head. V

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, th s 29th day of November, 1921.

MICHAEL WARNICK.

